According to the Sports Goods Manufacturers Association, treadmills are the best selling fitness equipment today. About 15% of the population use a treadmill because of its ease of use, storage and the fact that it is not time demanding. In 2008 alone, treadmill sales reached $870 million making them second to none. After a short decline in sales because of the economic downturn, the exercise equipment industry, in general, is expected to experience a 2% to 4.5% this year.

There are a few brands that have recently joined the treadmill industry along with the closure of some. Aerobics Inc, creator of the PaceMaker treadmills, stopped production and filed for bankruptcy. This is following a huge decline in treadmill sales. Meanwhile, Livestrong introduced its own treadmills in 2009. To boost sales, Livestrong partnered with the Lance Armstrong Foundation wherein a portion of their sales will be used to help cancer patients. This strategy has not only paved the way for the public to welcome the company and its products but also increased health awareness leading to the increased sales of exercise equipment like the treadmill.

Other new treadmill manufacturers are Best Buy, who claims to excel in terms of support. There’s also the Yozwa Fitness of Bonita Springs extended their business to the sports industry but mainly selling their products through their website and other affiliates.

Why are Treadmills the Most Preferred Exercise Equipment?
Treadmill sales directly reflect the consumers’ need for easy exercise equipment that provides a full body workout. Although a number of exercise equipment also provide this benefit, they aren’t as slender as the treadmill or are as easily stored.

Treadmills are also extremely flexible. They can be configured to fit your fitness level making them perfect for the entire family. For beginners, you can start with the least inclination and with minimum speed. The more advanced users can also change the settings to work at max speed and inclination. With treadmills, you get to enjoy a certain level of freedom that other equipment can’t.

Lastly, the number one reason for the increased treadmill sales is that exercising on it can be truly enjoyable. The incorporation of the iFit Live function gives this exercise equipment the ability to recreate a suitable environment for a workout. The iFit Live function allows users to select a scene that they would run on. If the inclination changes on the treadmill, so will the picture on the screen. The addition of this new feature is one proof that the technology behind the treadmill is still evolving today.

The Future of Treadmills
The current trend of exercise equipment points to people buying bulky equipment for family use. The treadmill fits nicely into this need but with the constant evolution of the engineering behind it, consumers are to a better workout tool in the years to come. Treadmill sales are directly affected by the strength of the economy so as long as the economy is doing good, sales will also be great for such flexible exercise equipment.